Electrical contact member for conduits



Nov. 9, 1937o M. J. DE MASK 2,098,414

ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBER FOR CONDUITS Filed OCl'.. 2, 1934 Ill/111111111 lll/lll lll/11111111111 1 11,11

INVENTOR MFN/v ff Mawr BY 9' 77M TToRNEYs Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBER -FOR CONDUITS Martin J. De Mask, manera, ma.

Application october z, 1934, serial No. 140,541:

10 Claims.

This invention relates to conduits for electrical conductors, and has particular reference to the provision of improved contact clips and means for securing them to bus bars within such conduits so that connection may be made to an outside line yby a plug or switch. One object of the present invention is to provide improved clip structures which will be engaged'by the plug or switch blades and which will avoid direct contact between the bus bars and the switch or plug blades, so that the arcing which occurs when the blades are withdrawn with the current on will not damage the bus bars. Another -object is to provide an improved contact clip lswhich can be adjusted along the length of the bus bar. Another object is to improve upon the following description and claims.

,20 This application is a continuation in part of my prior applications Serial Numbers 466,803, 610,298, andv 620,707 and which have become Patents Numbered 1,992,816, 2,054,193, and 1,982,- 152 respectively.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the clipof Fig. 3 in place on aconduit;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the conduit shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspectivedetail of one form of clip;

Fig. 4 is a view-similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modifledform of clip;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, of the clip shown in Flg..4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of the clip shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of a. modified form of clip. l In the'form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the vconduit is indicated as an entirety bythe numeral 20, and comprises a metallic -casing or shell which is furnished in sections adaptedfto be aligned and secured to the wall of a room or other xed support, the sections being provided in such lengths as may be conveniently handled. Each shell is preferably provided with a llningof insulation, as shown at 2|, and within the shell aremounted longitudinal bus bars 22 for conducting current through the conduit. At intervals in the lengths of the bus bars, contact clips are secured thereto with'which contact may be made by the blade 23 of a suitable switch mechanism or other contact device here shown as contained` in an external casing 24. 'Ihe switch blade 22 is here shown as of an oscillating type, and the contact clip, one form of which is shown in Fig. 3, is therefore designed to receive the switch blade as the latter moves in a direction generally longitudinal of the bar.. 5

The clip comprises a strip 25 held to the bus bar as by screws 26, and is bent reversely upon itself at 21 to form a resilient clip portion 28. This is provided with an outwardly flaring end 29 facilitating the entrance of the switch blade, 10 and has preferably a'n outwardly bent lip 30 at the bottom so as to adapt the clip for the reception of the blade of a switch or plug moving up from below in a vertical direction. The edge of the strip 26 may be beveled as at 33, 34, Ain order 15 to facilitate the entrance of the blade 23. The strip 26 may also be shortened, if desired, so that the bevel 33, will be .positioned opposite the outwardly nared end 29. As an alternative, the clip shown in Fig. 3, may be modified as in 20 Fig. 7, where the body 25 is oifsetat 4I to form a beveled portion directing the contact blade into' position between the .clip jaws. This forms a I somewhat more resilient clip than the clip shown in Fig. 3. In some instances the reversely bent portion 26 shown in Figs. 3 and 7 may be omitted.

A somewhat similar form of clip is shown in Figs 4, v5,' and 6, having, however, distinct features and advantages of its own. The conduit 45 and thecooperating switch blade 46 are shown in 30 Fig. i as of the type described in my prior application Ser.`No. 620,707. Bus bars 41 are carried within the conduit by suitably insulated hangers 48, and tbe clips. shown best in Figs. 5 and 6, are designed tobe carried by a portion of the bus bar. 35

This-location has definite advantages since there is les's danger of injury to the conduit and less liability of short circuiting if arcing occurs when the blade 46 is withdrawn from the clip.

The clip itself has a U-shaped body portion 50 40 adapted to embrace the bus bar 41, one leg of the U being reversely bent upon itself at 5i so as to grip the blade -The end of thisreversely bent portion is turned outwardly at 52,' and the adjacent end of the U-shaped member is beveled off at 53 45 to facilitate the lblades entrance. The clip is held in place by screws il threaded through bosses.

B5 on the rear leg of the U, and bearing against the bus bar'to give anchorage to the clip and at the Sametime to insure a good electrical contact with 50 the bus This manner of securing the clip requires no threaded holes in the bus bar, and lends itself particularly to cases where the clips are tovbe put in place after the bus bars have been assembled in the conduits. A permanent 55 ing the bus bar at 5M to receive the cross member of the U-shaped clip body. It will be readily understood that while,v the contact elements of the present disclosure are described as being enclosed within conduits, they might also'be used outside of conduits, and unenclosed.

I claim:

r l. In a system-for distributing power, a oo nduit, a bus bar disposed therein, means for supporting said bar within said conduit, a contact clip having opposed walls spring pressed toward each other and means for holding said Iclip within said conduit and electrically connected to said bar. said clip being positioned to receive a contact making blade, the spring pressed walls of said clip being arranged to embrace a blade with one wall of the clip interposed between the embraced blade and the adjacent barwhereby contact is maintained between said blade and said clip and conrtact between said blade and said bar is avoided.

2. In a system for distributing power,'a -bus bar,

means for supporting and insulating said bus bar, y

a contact clip having jaws adapted to frictionally engage an inserted terminal, said clip having an extension hooked over the adjacent bus bar, and

means securing said extension to said bus bar.

3. In a system for distributing power, a bus bar, a contact clip formed with a side wall secured to the bus bar, said wall being bent reversely upon itself to vprovide a resilient portion located alongside the first named wall, the adjacent surfaces of the resilient' portion and the rst named wall forming opposed contact areas for engagement by a contact element. f

Il. In a system for distributing power, a; bus bar, a contact clip formed with one wall secured to the bus bar and extending longitudinally along the same, 'said clip being bent outwardly away from the `bus bar and then extending longitudi- .nally along the bus bar to form an offset portion spaced from the bus bar, said odset portion being bent reversely upon itself to provide a resilient portion located alongside vthe offset portion, the resilient portion having an outturned lip located substantially adjacent said outwardly bent portion to facilitate the entrance of a contact prong between it and the first named wall.

5. In a. device for distributing electrical power, an extended bus bar, a contact clipcomprlsing a portion extending longitudinally along one side of the bar and forming a contact area for frictional engagement by a, contact blade', and an y 23,098,414 anchorage can easily be given if desired by notchl extension'from the said portion hooked over the) bar and lying'along the opposite side of the bar from the said portion, and means for securing the said extension to the bar.

6. In a device for distributing electrical power, an extended bus bar, a contact element secured to the bar, the 'said element consisting of a strip extending longitudinally along one side of the bar and forming 4a. Contact area for frictional engagement by a contact blade, thesaid strip being inter-` posed between the blade and the bar so that conf tact between the blade and the contact area is maintained and contact between the blade and the bar is avoided.

7. In a device for distributing electrical power, an extended bus bar, a contact clip formed with a side wall secured to the bar and extending longi-` tudinally along the bar, said wall being bent outwardly away from the bar and then longitudinally of the bar to form a portion spaced from vthe bar, said spaced portion forming'. a contact area for frlctional engagement by a contact blade.

8. In a device for distributing electrical power,

an extended bus bar, a contact clip formed with a side wall secured to the bar and extending lon- .-gitudinally along the bar, said wall being bent outwardly away from the bar and then longitudinally of the bar to form a portion spaced from the bar; said spaced portion being `mnt reversely upon itself to provide a resilientfportion located alongside the said spaced portion, the adjacent surfaces of the spaced portion and the resilient portion forming opposed Contact areas for frictional engagement by a contact blade.

9. In a device for electrical distribution, van extended bus bar, a contact clip having a side wall secured to the bar and extending longitudinally along the bar, said wall beingbent reversely upon itself to provide a resilient portion located alongside the rst named walLthe adjacent surfaces of the first named wall and the resilient portion forming opposed contact means for contact by a contact element, the said first named wallextending along the bar beyond the said' resilient portion.

l0. In a device for electrical'distribution, an extended bus bar having a notch in a, side, 'a contact clip positioned on said bar, said clip having a portion hooked around the bar and in engagement with said notch whereby movement of the 50 clip lengthwise ofthe bar is prevented.

MAR'1'mJ.nEMAsx.-` 

